Over recent months we've seen a significant increase in activity across our clients as four key factors kick in post early pandemic:
Everyone who was in the process of moving services to the cloud or even thinking about it are now doing it.
Any projects that were delayed by Covid are now in full swing and have been joined by related cloud/access projects.
Security is now at the top of the agenda for most governance and senior teams - a shift from if to when.
People are key to making all of this happen, at a time where people are also considering where they want to work and live, and what they want to do in the future.
Which all makes for a very busy landscape but one in which people are being hired, and the work is most certainly getting done.
The pandemic has reshaped the way we work yet people remain at the centre of every business.
Many organisations have created innovative ways of working, a heightened sense of human connection, and in some cases a unique manner of interacting to attract and retain the best people.
Jobs that were unfeasible to perform remotely, were suddently feasible as businesses re-worked processes, technologies, security, and data management to ensure business continuity. A role in tech now without some form of remote factoring is very rare (and probably uncompetitive).
With the need for people (employees and customers alike) to be able to access and interact with your business as, when and how they like, the role IT plays is even more important. With tech teams more directly involved with transformation than ever before, the lines are blurring between tech, CX, marketing and delivery.
Progressive employers are looking at their talent needs through new lenses. Employers are focusing on the health and well-being of their team through designing a seamless and sustainable hybrid culture, reskilling & upskilling of talent and the layering of talent to meet the now need. IT contractors are delivering key roles in project teams, supporting the day-to-day business needs, beefing up security and helping to lead the transformation.
The ability to engage talented, ready to go people resource has never been more important as Aotearoa’s talent pipeline with the rest of the world remains in the off position at the same time the need for talent builds daily. This is seeing an increase in hourly rates across many skill sets, a migration from permanent roles to contracting for IT talent and employers being more open to candidates with broader skill sets, working as they would like to work (productivity being key).
We expect 2021 to continue to demand more from technology as a connector, facilitator and delivery mechanism. And at the heart of it all will be good people, delivering what it says on the front of the tin.
Authors: Neha Mittal - Senior Recruitment Advisor & Tony Grantham - Client Director - OPTIC DIGITAL